From: MPetrelis@aol.com
Date: Wed, 16 Aug 2000 16:17:17 EDT
Subject: FEC asked to probe SF AIDS Fdtn. donations
[Hard copy sent via snail mail. --mp]
August 16, 2000
Lawrence Noble
General Counsel, Federal Election Commission
999 E Street, NW, Room 657
Washington, DC 20463
RE: San Francisco AIDS Foundation political donations
Dear Mr. Noble:
I write to you to ask for an investigation into donations by the executive
director, board of directors chair and employees of the San Francisco AIDS
Foundation (SFAF) to political candidates and political action committees,
pursuant to the Federal Election Campaign Act (FECA) of 1971 and its
subsequent amendments and revisions.
As you know, under FECA, according to the Federal Election Commission (FEC)
www.fec.gov web site, the following provision is law. "The FECA places
prohibitions on contributions and expenditures by certain individuals and
organizations. The following are prohibited from making contributions or
expenditures to influence federal elections: Corporations; Labor
organizations; Federal government contractors; and
Foreign nationals."
Since the SFAF receives millions of federal grants for its AIDS and HIV
programs, I believe this tax exempt nonprofit agency qualifies as a federal
government contractor and SFAF is therefore prohibited from making donations
to influence political races.
The executive director of SFAF, Ms. Pat Christen, made a $1,000 donation on
June 27, 2000, to Sen. John Kerry, D-MA. Christen also contributed $250 on
September 30, 1998, to Sen. Barbara Boxer, D-CA; $1,000 on December 16, 1997,
to the American AIDS Political Action Committee; $250 on October 22, 1996, to
Rep. Loretta Sanchez, D-CA; and $500 on September 29, 1995, to the
Clinton/Gore '96 Primary Committee. A total of $3,000 in donations by
Christen.
The chair of the SFAF board of directors, Mr. Lonnie Payne, also on June 27,
2000, made a $1,000 contribution to Sen. Kerry. Payne additionally sent a
check for $250 on April 2, 2000, to the American AIDS Political Action
Committee.
The director of the SFAF public policy department, Mr. Fred Dillon, similarly
on June 27, 2000, made a donation of $1,000 to Sen. Kerry.
The director of federal affairs for the SFAF, Mr. Ernest C. Hopkins, on July
21, 1999, donated $500 to Vice President Al Gore's presidential campaign.
This was on top of the March 10, 1999, $250 contribution Hopkins made to Gore.
The director of finance for SFAF, Mr. Lance Henderson, on June 28, 1996, made
a $250 donation to Democrat Harvey Gantt of North Carolina in his bid to
unseat Republican Sen. Jesse Helms.
All of the donations by Christen, Dillon, Hopkins, and Henderson list the
SFAF as their employer.
Since the SFAF received $4,213,562 in federal Ryan White CARE Act dollars
this year, and has accepted an equally large amount of federal funding
through the CARE Act in previous years, I ask you to investigate if the SFAF
employees and board chair violated FECA when they made contributions to
candidates and committees.
The FEC must determine if any Ryan White CARE Act money was used by SFAF
employees when they attempted to influence federal campaigns and politicians.
We have seen another Ryan White CARE Act funded nonprofit organization, the
San Juan AIDS Institute of Puerto Rico in the 1990s, divert CARE Act money
away from medical and treatment services intended for AIDS patients, and
instead spent the federal funds on political elections. I have voluminous
news accounts, in both English and Spanish, about this scandal should you
require more background about Ryan White CARE Act groups engaging in
political activities and lobbying with federal dollars.
I look forward to the FEC investigating donations by Christen, Payne,
Hopkins, Dillon and Henderson of the SFAF and if FECA was violated.
Sincerely,
Michael Petrelis
Welcome to AIDS-STATISTICS
www.AIDS-statistics.com
2215-R Market Street, #413
San Francisco, CA 94114